Judy Mirro, President of Women's Riding School
I‘d like to introduce you to one of my favorite people! Judy Mirro and I got to know each other in College {Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondack Mountains in New York} and both ended up living in Vermont.
Judy is one of the most energetic, brilliant, hard working and wild woman that I know. She totally works hard and plays hard. I took her skiing back in 1982 and little did I know she would turn into a mogul maniac. She loves speed, and it’s no wonder that she bought her first motorcycle back in 1978.
Her first bike was a Honda 175cc and now she drives a ‘96 Ducati 900 Supersport and has two BMWs. Judy was a self-taught rider. In 1990 she took a “Experienced Rider Course” and was recruited to become an instructor and has been teaching ever since.
The Women’s Riding School, LLC was established for women {novice to expert riders, Harley’s to Honda’s, dirt bikes to big cruisers} to have a safe leaning environment. They focus on fun, safety and education with a low student to instructor ratio {one instructor for every one to three students
} to ensure everyone gets the attention they need. The classes are held once a year at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H.
- Increase your confidence on the road
- Improve your cornering skills
- Master your braking
- Improve your visuals leads
- Learn new ways to enjoy motorcycling
Classes this year are on July 28th. For more info: contact Judy at 802-223-9270 or go online to read articles and there are even videos of the school so you will be able to get a feel for how cool this event is.
Judy is the real thing. Not only is she the president and owner of the Women’s Riding School, but she is also a nationally certified Motorcycle Safety Instructor, has taught cycling safety courses for the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles for over ten years, she started racing and became a licensed RoadRacer at age 38. “It really is never too late,” says Judy. “I enjoy leading by example and encouraging women that they can do it all.” Judy is also a “moto-journalist” with assignments as Roadrace Editor and a Test Rider.
Amy: Your favorite Test Ride?
Judy: A new , Honda RC51 for a 160-180 mph “spin” around the Laguna Seca Raceway. It was the longest and fastest I had ever ridden. “I drive about 130 miles per day commuting from home to work and back on my 2002 BMW R1150RS. I ride through rain or shine from April through November – as long as there is no ice on the road.
Amy: Do you wear anything special for riding?
Judy: Absolutely! I wear a full leather suit or a synthetic riding suit and always were a full face SNELL-approved helmet, which gets replace every five years for safety’s sake. Motorcycle gloves and boots are worn no matter what the weather. [Find out why it is important to change your helmet every 5 years]
Amy: What does the riding school consist of?
Judy: The day consists of a morning track walk, classroom instruction, lots of on-course riding and elective infield exercises. To top this off, there is a Meet-N-Greet dinner party the night before, raffle prizes, goodie bags, a track photographer to get you in action, a healthy lunch and a day of meeting and networking with some fabulous women riders.
Amy: Are there any other women’s motorcycle schools in the USA?
Judy: Unfortunetly no. The WRS is the only school in the US. We have used the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. as our home course for 12 years now. We have had women fly/ride in from CA, FL, VA, MI, etc. My hope is to get some big sponsors and take the school on the road. Then we could make this more accessible for more women who are looking to further their rider education and safety level.
For more information go to www.womensridingschool.com